Lighting The Way
by Otiahaot
Summary: For Hikaru Rumas, born with a Quirk that could guarantee him a place in every Support Course, spending his future life in a workshop doesn't sound like a very fulfilling career. Instead, how about spending half of his life in a workshop and the other as a Pro Hero? Follow him as he tries to make his way through U.A scholarship without dying or severe injuries.
1. Lectures on thermite

"Wake up son, you're going to be late."

The old man flicked a switch and the entire room lit up. From under the covers a tired groan rose and a dark-haired boy clumsily got up from his bed.

"And hurry up if you want to digest that breakfast before the exam," the man added. "you wouldn't want to throw up if front of everyone, would you?"

He left the teen to his morning routine and waited for him to arrive in the living room. The man had graying hair that he kept in a ponytail, his face serious, you could easily guess that he held himself to a strict discipline. Although he appeared old, you could still see a well defined musculature under his clothes, proof of the training routine he kept after his retirement.

While his grandson was taking a shower he went through today's news on his phone. He noticed the brief article on UA's entrance exam, that was scheduled for this very day.

Usually, even Japan's number one high school for future heroes couldn't make its entrance exam newsworthy for the mainstream press. The media would normally relay simple information like the day of the event, and the deadline for applications. But this time it was different, as the rumors of All Might joining the staff as a teacher were slowly confirmed the school received an exceedingly high amount of attention, even by its standards. Experts went wild as they wondered what the next batch of heroes would look like after taking lessons from the Symbol of Peace himself.

While Shun Makimura found this turn of events interesting, he was more preoccupied by his grandson's exam and his memories on this matter. He remembered his own encounter with UA's selection decades ago, when he had to race the others to save as many 'civilians' as possible while under attack by robots. The civvies in questions were of course robots of their own, and the tricky part of the exam was to figure out that each candidate was awarded points for destroying one of their assailants. Indeed, he remembered realizing that the easiest way to protect all the victims was to neutralize the menace as soon as possible. Pragmatism, he said often, was what brought him to his former position as 7th in this country's Top-Ranked heroes.

Then his mind drifted off to his daughter's exam, eighteen years earlier, and almost immediately the memory of his daughter caused him great pain, like every time he tried to remember her early years. Fortunately, it was at this moment that his grandson finally joined him for breakfast.

Hikaru was an average-looking teenager, if average still had a meaning in this super-human society. To Shun, that meant he had no antennas, no cat ears or any mutation of the sort. There was his hair, short, messy, it showed that the boy never considered his haircut as a worthwhile preoccupation. A look easily reminded his grandfather that he definitely needed to work out if he wanted to follow his steps. He had made some significant progress the past few months, but that wouldn't be enough if he wanted to be a Hero. But there were more pressing matters, for example, breakfast. Hikaru sat at his usual spot and served himself a glass of orange juice.

As they ate, listening to the radio, the old man casually asked:

"So, they didn't allow you to take your toolkit, you're sure it's going to be okay?"

"It's annoying but I'll manage somehow, Grandpa. And if I fail, there's still the Support Course." his grandson answered, chomping hungrily on a toast.

"In my opinion you should have focused in that one entirely, I continue to believe that your Quirk is ideal for Support but not so much for being a Hero. You could have done a lot better at the exam and you wouldn't be worrying now."

"If you say so, but I'm really confident about this. Not that it will be easy, mind you."

"Well, I guess it's up to you to prove me wrong. Now go gather your stuff before you're really late, Hikaru."

And so Hikaru left the old man to his breakfast. A few minutes later, he was dressed up, fully ready for the day, carrying a duffel bag.

"Well, see you later Grandpa." he said.

"Yeah, what does your aunt Jackie say in these situations? `I wish you bad luck´?" the man asked.

"That's right. That's because she thinks wishing for good luck before an exam guarantees a failure."

"Oh. Anyway, you should get going; the train won't wait for you."

Hikaru obeyed, he shut the door, locked it and left through his floor's elevator. From there, he headed to the station where he waited for the train to arrive, sitting on a cold bench. On the next bench, there was another boy, you couldn't help but notice his pointy teeth that chattered due to the morning chill and his unusual hair. It was dark, spiky and descended to his shoulders. It looked like this person was waiting for the same reasons as Hikaru, as the was reading through a document he recognized immediately: the overview and planning for UA High's entrance exam. Everyone who applied had been given this document that contained all the information they needed to find their way to the auditorium. Hikaru thought loudly:

"Hey, you're applying to UA too ?"

He stopped his reading and faced him.

"That's right!" he answered, "I'm Eijirô Kirishima!" he held out his hand, trying to make the conversation less awkward. Hikaru gave him a handshake.

"I'm Hikaru Rumas, nice to meet you! So, what do you think it's going to be? Combat? Rescue?"

"I don't expect anything in particular, really. I'm sure I can handle what they'll throw at us without too much trouble."

"Really? That's some confidence! What kind of kick-ass Quirk do you have to be that calm?"

"Hey, I'm a bit nervous like everyone else! Besides, if I show my Quirk you'll have to show yours, otherwise that wouldn't be fair."

"Of course, of course. Who goes first?"

"Go ahead."

"Alright." he took off his right hand glove "My Quirk, Insight, allows me to understand the design and functionality of any object that I touch, it doesn't work on living beings, though. Because you know, they might be dumb, but they're not objects. However, if the thing is too complex, it gives me headaches, nosebleeds and worst case scenario, I'll pass out."

"That's a Quirk with 'Support' written all over it. If you don't mind, can I ask why are you aiming for the Hero Course instead of Support? Not that yours is a bad Quirk, far from it, but it doesn't look like it's very well suited for action. No offense."

"None taken, and you're absolutely right, this Quirk clearly isn't suitable for physical confrontation. But with this, I intend to build myself an arsenal of gadgets to give me the edge that I so desperately need for combat. I already have some but they didn't allow me to take them for this exam."

"You know you'll need a license to make these, right?"

"Right, I'll have to pass the national exam when I graduate. Until then, I need an adult around to watch over me."

"And what did you have in mind for your future arsenal? I'm kind of curious now that you've mentioned it."

"Hey, that's a secret. You'll know in time."

"Yeah right. Well, I'm sure they'll take you at Support if things go wrong today, with a Quirk like that the Support exam wasn't that much of a bother, I guess."

"Yeah, I'll tell you the full story when we're in that train. It's quite the tale, trust me ."

"Ah? I'm looking forward to it, then! You still want to see my Quirk, by the way?"

"Hey, you set the rules and we agreed. What's your power level?" Kirishima chuckled.

"It's a bit plain, I can harden my skin like an armor. That's why it's called Hardening."

"Simple and effective, if you ask me. So what brings a tough guy like you to UA?"

Kirishima remained quiet for a moment, then answered:

"That's personal, but you won't be surprised if I tell you that I always wanted to be a Hero, like most teenagers."

"Yeah, who wouldn't?"

"And what brings you to _'This renowned institution'_?" Kirishima asked, quoting the pompous introduction of their document.

"Have you ever noticed that there's never been a Hero who uses just his equipment to take down Villains? There are lots in comics but I've never seen one in real life. I want to be the first. Also, just like you, I have my reasons. I've got heroes in the family as well, so I don't want to disappoint."

"Anyone famous?"

"Well there's my Grandpa and my dad, although you've probably never heard of him. Grandpa was known as Samurai Man back in the day."

"Wow! Samurai Man! That's something! He was in the Top 10, but you probably knew that already. And what about your father?"

"Vashkiri, the Elastic Hero. Does that sound familiar?"

"Yeah, sorry, never heard of him."

"It's okay, He wasn't well known, anyway."

 _"Was?"_ Kirishima thought to himself, _"Oh man, better not push that button, that would be terrible! Not manly at all!"_

"It ain't so bad, having heroes in your family could drive you to surpass them if you think about it. Plus Ultra, am I right?"

Hikaru laughed. Not only because of the good timing, but also due to the fact that he had a long way to travel before reaching Grandpa Shun's level. And the boy was even further from his parents' league, at least according to the retired Pro-Hero. As he remembered this power gap, the train finally arrived. They both gathered their bags and decided to chat during the trip, by sitting next to each other.

"So, what happened during this Support exam?" Kirishima wondered, trying to dodge the bullet he fired on his own.

"What a shit show. I'll start at the beginning..."

* * *

As Hikaru listened to the overview on the Support exam given by Power Loader, he scribbled in his notebook. It was the math needed for a design he thought about when he was just a little kid. Unfortunately, this calculation would have to wait, as the teacher was about to reveal the content of the exam. The goal was simple, all examinees would be gathered in a labyrinth and they had to escape as quickly as possible within the time limit. The exam was cleverly designed. All students who had passed the written exam were awarded with a provisional license that allowed them to build their own gadgets, but only under supervision by an adult. And this practical exam was nothing if not supervised, which is why there were facilities available for all applicants to build all sorts of equipment to attempt an escape.

When they left the auditorium to prepare for this test, the examinees were blindfolded, and guided to the center of the labyrinth by a wire they held onto. Once every teenager reached this position, they were told by an announcer to remove the cloth on their eyes and before they knew it, the exam had begun. Hikaru decided to go for the fastest way out, namely, the open ceiling and claimed a workbench to build some sort of grappling hook, like the one he wanted to do for his future arsenal. Already, those with a good memory managed to exit the maze, followed by those who could see through walls.

But then, the remaining teenagers who wished to follow their example received a reminder that this was indeed an exam. The maze began to change its layout, walls moving and corridors shifting left and right. This quickly led the more impressionable applicants into disarray. Some cried because their X-ray goggles couldn't pass the new lead coating of the walls, others lamented the fact that there was a now ceiling that kept them from exiting that way. And to Hikaru, this was perfectly normal.

* * *

"See," he told Kirishima "the goal of the exam wasn't just to escape this bloody maze, but to do so using a mean no one thought about before. It rewards innovation and punishes imitation, only the brightest and quickest could have the honor of joining the Support Course. I found it challenging, but in a right way, in a real UA fashion."

"And how did you escape that maze? You wouldn't brag about the exam if you had failed."

"Indeed I wouldn't, and this is where the fun part begins..."

* * *

As Hikaru tried to figure out an escape plan, he encountered his fair share of difficulties. First, his grappling hook he made to aim for the ceiling was now useless, as this way out was blocked by a metal panel. Secondly, when he tried to touch the building, the ludicrous load of data flooded his mind and he stood motionless for at least 10 minutes, his nose bleeding. When he finally recovered, more escapes had succeeded, and his chances to pass were getting slimmer and slimmer. That's when he noticed a girl with strange boots and pink hair rushing past him. He never saw her face, but he would remember her haircut forever, as her hair naturally assembled in dreadlocks that waved around as she ran.

Intrigued, he interrupted his thought process and saw her lifting off the metal ground and heading for the ceiling, her boots blasting her towards that obstacle. _"Was she that stupid?"_ , he thought, _"You can't use that strategy anymore!"_. Suddenly, he noticed the makeshift drill she carried on her back. Soon, she was piercing through this dreaded ceiling using her tool and the momentum from her _jet-boots_. Hikaru was thoroughly baffled. _"Incredible… Even if that way was blocked, she decided to force her way through! She worked her way around the limitations set by this trial and succeeded through sheer will and wit! What a moron I am! Of course, I should have thought about that earlier! Merde!"_.

Not wasting anymore time, he decided to step up his game. Swiftly reaching for a chemistry lab, he quickly worked on a particular recipe, well-known by criminals who attempted to rob banks: thermite. By scratching a piece of metal and an aluminum bar that was lying around for applicants to use, he managed to obtain the thin metal powder he needed for his daring escape and put it in a sturdy metal pot. He had to move fast. Already, the hole in the ceiling made by Drill-Girl was being fixed by robots who reinforced the whole structure. He used the grappling hook he made on the spot, back when he thought the open ceiling was a viable option. Quickly zooming to the hole, he placed his pot where the robots were finishing their work. Thankfully, he added a remote detonator in his mixture, that could trigger the reaction.

He descended, reloaded his grappling hook for this next step. Pushing the button of his trusty detonator, he watched as the spot he chose in the ceiling started to glow brighter and brighter, only to melt moments later. When the hole finally attained a suitable size, he aimed his grapple right through it and released it. A split-second later, sporting a few burns from his proximity to molten metal, he triumphantly exited the maze as the bell that signaled the end of the exam rang all over the facility.

He was tired, as he had to push his mind to its limits to figure out a solution as soon as possible. But in the end, he had passed the test, even if he didn't succeed with the Hero Course, he could still join Support. He then headed to the spot where all the injured examinees gathered. Recovery Girl, the school nurse, was present in person, providing treatment of all sorts: words of encouragements for those who had failed, medical care, and more. When his turn arrived, she thoroughly scolded him:

"Ah there you are! I've been wondering where the kid stupid enough to use thermite with so many people around was hiding! Consider yourself lucky no-one but you got hurt by your little stunt!"

"Yes, but..."

"No 'buts'! A member of the Support Course would have figured out a way that didn't jeopardize other people's life! Do you know how high the temperature released by flaming thermite is?"

"Over 2000 degrees." Hikaru never missed an occasion to shoe-horn scientific facts.

"Precisely! That's more than what the human body can bear by a fair margin! Do you realize what would have happened if you or another applicant happened to be in the vicinity of that blast?"

Now that she put it that way, Hikaru couldn't help but feel bad for what he had done. All he wanted was to succeed in a spectacular fashion. He didn't consider others safety for even an instant. The nurse continued:

"By the look on your face, I see that you're beginning to regret this. In the future, consider the consequences of your actions before you decide to act. I swear, every year it's a competition between Support and Hero Course to see who's the most idiotic. Now go!" she gave him a peck on the cheek "Leave before I get really angry!"

Hikaru's wounds began to heal slowly, as he felt more and more tired. This was the work of Recovery Girl's Quirk, just like Grandpa told him. Without further ado, he grabbed his belongings and left the campus, with an unprecedented urge to meet his bed. When he finally reached his grandfather's apartment he quickly muttered an excuse to rest and went directly to his room. It seemed like Shun understood the situation, looking at his face. _"_ _Looks like, s_ _omeone had_ _a_ _conversation with Chiyo"_ , he noted. He let Hikaru have his well-deserved nap. At last, the boy jumped on his bed. He stared at his room's ceiling and let out his thoughts on his adventure:

"What a fucking day."

* * *

"So you blew a hole through the roof? That's awesome! If I ever had to escape from a place like that, I'd show my anger and manly spirit too!"

Hikaru obviously didn't mention the lecture from Recovery Girl. _"That would have been humiliating."_ he noted.

"And that's a very important lesson I learned on this lively day: even if someone already made something you wanted to do, that doesn't mean you can't follow their lead, you just have to figure out an other way to implement said idea. Who knows? You might even discover something in the process! That's what UA's looking for, people who can adapt, improvise and overcome what life puts in front of them. Still, none of this would have been possible without Drill Girl. Without her guidance, I would have failed, wasting my time trying to figure out some far-fetched plan. I wonder if I'll ever see her again..."

"No worries, I'm sure you'll meet next year! Hey,"Kirishima asked slyly "Was she cute? On a scale from 1 to 10."

Hikaru paused for a minute, blushing slightly. He didn't notice her face and features that much, everything happened so fast! Sometimes he tried to imagine what she looked like, behind the sparks from the ceiling she was breaking through. That Drill Girl remained a mystery. What really stuck to him when he saw her was her quick-thinking.

"A solid pi power two."

"Yeah, how much is that?"

"She'd know for sure, that's why I rate her this highly."

"Ah, that's a low blow."

"If you say so."

"Hey, I'll give you that, if I saw a girl drilling her way through heaven I would have been impressed too."

"She didn't strike me as religious, so I don't think she'd be into that.". _"Or would she?"_ he imagined her in a cute nun outfit for a moment and quickly shook his head to cast this picture away. _"Non, non, non! Be rational Hikaru! A girl like her obviously doesn't believe in the spaghetti monster! She's reasonable, and smart, and..."_

"Wait, you mean you haven't seen that show?" Kirishima asked, surprised by Hikaru's answer, interrupting his reverie just before he pictured his mysterious Drill Girl in a lab coat.

"Aaaah, that was a reference to something! Sorry, I didn't get it." he answered, heroically keeping himself from blushing at his train of thoughts.

"This calls for enlightenment, man! When I'm done with you, you'll never be able to get drills and giant robots out of your head!"

As if cued, the train finally arrived at their destination. They followed the flow of passengers and left the station. They could already see their objective in the distance, the main building of UA's campus that stood proudly in the morning light. They headed to the entrance as more and more teenagers flocked in the same direction. Their breath turned into small clouds in the chilly early spring air, they looked like locomotives trying to compete for first place in a performance contest. _"Because that's what it is,"_ they thought _"we're already racing to see who can be a hero and who can't."_

And so, they crossed UA's towering gateway, ready to show the world what they were made of.

Eventually, they reached the main building where all the students gathered. Kirishima mentioned that a friend of his was waiting for him at UA and she quickly appeared, waving at the duo. For a moment, Hikaru thought her to be the mysterious Drill Girl, but her other features quickly proved him wrong. She had bright pink hair, assorted to her pink skin and two horns that pointed towards the sky. Her eyes drew his attention: yellow with a black sclera. They were pretty nonetheless. Soon, she reached the two wannabe heroes and hailed her friend:

"Oi! Kirishima, How's it going? And who's that guy with you?"

"I'm sure he can introduce himself on his own, can he?" Kirishima answered.

"I'm Hikaru Rumas, nice to meet you!" he said.

"Mina Ashido, same!" she replied.

"We met at the train station. If you want to know what the Support exam was like, you can ask him. And now that you mention it, I'd say I'm a bit stressed but confident nonetheless."

"Yeah, but who isn't?" she added "I'd like to say that I'm excited, but that's not exactly it. UA's a big deal! That Support exam you passed, how hard was it?"

"I got 45 Idea points, but only 15 Time points. Which doesn't really mean anything if I don't give you an overview of the practical test."

"The poor fellows were gathered in a weird maze that adapted to each successful escapee. Rumas only exited at the edge of the time limit. But, at least, he's now on a grand quest to find the mysterious girl who inspired him with his plan! That's super manly!"

"Hey, I'm not on a q-" Hikaru tried to shot back.

"Ooooh!" Mina interrupted coyly "Mister Luma already has a love interest! And you have yet to enter UA! Oh my! What a way to start you high-school years! I'm impressed, really."

You could almost taste the sarcasm as she flashed her trademark Ashido-Grin.

"It's Rumas, with an R. And an S at the end that you don't pronounce." Hikaru pouted "And it's not like I want to find her, it's just that I think about her sometimes."

"Ah! And he's a fully-fledged _tsundere_! Yeah you've earned the jackpot, Kirishima. If he's around, I'll never get bored! Sorry about your name then, it's just a bit weird."

"No problem, Rumas isn't the japaniesest name around. Possibly because it's French."

"Never been to France, how does the Hero Course work there? I'm curious." Mina asked.

"Well, there are specialized high-school for future Heroes but you need to access higher education for your Hero License. I know you can choose between a college degree or a diploma from a Grand School, which are basically Japan's Hero Schools like UA and such, except they're for young adults, and after that you have to work under another Hero's supervision as a "Squire". My dad went to the Heroic high-school in his region, that's where he met my mom on a student exchange with UA."

"It must have been a high-ranking school then, you don't get student exchanges with UA High just like that..." Kirishima commented, trying as best as he could to avoid the potentially touchy subject of Hikaru's father. _"If it's what I think it is, better keep this for another_ day." he thought, _"I'd rather not have Mina bringing this up too soon, it might be bad for both of them."_

"Probably, I don't know, I never bothered to check the ranking." Hikaru was blissfully unaware of the bait he took.

"By the way, you mentioned your mother went to UA right? What advice did she give you for today's exam?" Mina wondered, trying to change the subject of conversation. As Kirishima gestured somewhat discreetly to her in order to avoid a situation. Apparently, Hikaru didn't notice his message, which was fine by the Hardening Quirk user.

Hikaru shot up and remembered what Grandpa told him every time he talked to other children. _"No matter how benign the subject seems, do not mention your mother. Ever. Unless the person in front of you is your most trusted friend, do not bring that up, if you do you'll regret this."_ He let the scholarship of his mother slip when he talked about the Hero Course. _"Merde! I need to find an excuse and fast!"_. He lied through his teeth:

"Oh she's busy all the time, we barely have the time to say hello! However, Grandpa told me to pay attention to the rules and to think out of the box, whatever that may be."

They'd never believe that. It was way too forced and awkward. Kirishima already looked like he was suspecting something. Mina was definitely intrigued by this behavior, yet she said:

"We'll keep that in mind, thanks Rumas. Now we should get going, the exam is about to begin!"

And with that, they were off to the auditorium where they sit at their designated spots. Present Mic greeted them a few moments later:

" **WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO MY LIVE SHOW! EVERYBODY SAY YEAH!"**

And so, the start of the exam was closing in on our trio of teenagers. What trials would await them after this cheerful introduction? The answer was waiting behind Present Mic's greeting, as UA was ready to judge their abilities.

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you for your time, it's my very first story here so reviews are more than welcome! Special thanks to Calixxe who agreed to proofread this chapter.


	2. Absolute madmen

**Ah yes, I didn't mention it in chapter 1 but I do not own MHA nor its character. Support the official release, blah, blah, blah. Any similarities to anyone living or dead are coincidental, etc.**

* * *

On this chilly spring afternoon, Hikaru, like many other examinees was fidgeting on zone's entrance. Just like them, he waited anxiously for the proper exam to start. He happened to be in the same zone Kirishima was assigned, which worried him a little.

Not only his new friend had a powerful quirk that could pose a problem if they were to compete somehow but the fact that this competition could even happen in the first place bothered him. None of them wanted to steal each others points but it might have to happen for them to pass. And as he tried to think of some sort of strategy, a boisterous voice rose from the speakers:

" **AND, START !"** It was Present Mic, announcing the beginning of the exam everyone waited for. Not wasting any time, Hikaru ran to the battlefield while the majority of the other applicants was still puzzled by the utter lack of countdown.

" _2 possible outcomes,"_ thought the Insight user _"It's either A: The truth and I just gained invaluable seconds on speedy quirk users or, B: a prank and I look like an idiot, which is completely inconsequential. And by the looks of things, answer A's the right one."_

He quickly saw the speed quirk users he worried about zoom next to him, catching up on his advance. _"This was to be expected, but I'm still ahead of the others!"_. He finally encountered his objective after assessing the field for a few seconds: a lone 3-pointer patrolling in search of enemies. The robot rushed to his position and with a terrifying whir, aimed his missile rack at Hikaru. The boy hit the deck and felt the ordinance fly past him, only to land in a nearby wall. He got up and ran towards the enemy, he threw himself on the metallic monster and managed to get a hold on it, before being pushed away. His quirk activated.

He saw brief flashes, visions, like a video on fast-forward. He saw the robot being built, programmed and when he opened his eyes he felt the usual dizziness after gaining insight on a complicated machine. It was well worth it, as he had now a complete understanding of this robot. Grabbing a metal bar in the rubble that dotted the battlefield, he pressed his attack.

Now that he knew the enemy's patterns, avoiding its attacks was much easier and Hikaru couldn't suppress his urge to show off, in a pompous fashion.

"You fool!" he shouted with disdain, "I know every single bolt on you and every single line of your source code! Your movements are predictable, robot!"

Obviously, the robot couldn't answer. Instead, it tried to get rid of the loud target in front of it to move on to the next. As he reached once more the body of the enemy, Hikaru went for its back to access the removable metal panel that was used for maintenance. He assessed the situation.

" _Those robots are re-usable, it's obvious when you've seen their design. That's why the screws are a bit loose, to allow faster repair! And that means even a weak boy like me can remove this panel with the right tool, which I have!"_.

He carefully brought the bar to a screw and, placing the extremity in the right angle, began to remove it by turning his bar. The robot was trying to shake him off in the process but he managed to hold on. It was a miracle that no one tried to attack his robot (because it was now 'his') during this tedious manipulation.

" _They're probably afraid of hitting me if they attack it and that's excellent! No one will bother me!"_

Finally, after 2 minutes, the panel fell on the concrete and revealed the glorious circuitry behind it. From there, Hikaru pulled the wire that went from the processing unit of the robot to its motion control chip and tore it. But he was far from over, he continued to mess with the circuitry until all wires that led to the robot's limbs were disconnected. Only then did he pulled his last wire on the robot, the red one that provided the rest of the system with power. _"_ _Now I know what you're thinking, Rumas you're one lucky fellow don't you know? You can directly reroute power into each limb to control the thing like a Gremlin. Why yes, that is a very fortunate turn of event !"_ Hikaru often imagined that was performing a one man show to deal with excessive stress, as counter-intuitive as it may seems.

After a bit of tweaking, the robot was operational once more, if you disregarded its passenger that sat on its back. Now that he had a weapon, Hikaru was finally getting in the game. Unfortunately, his joy was cut short by Mic's next announcement:

 **"6 minutes and 2 second left everyone, keep it up!"**

" _What?"_ Hikaru thought, " _I spent that much time car-jacking that bot? Merde!"_.

He quickly reacted, driving the robot near the main street and entered the fray. It was a tough performance as he had to keep his head high while handling wire connections. There! A pod of 1 pointers rushed out of nowhere right when he needed them. He swiftly aimed the missiles and released a volley, obliterating the 3 unfortunate robots. This kept going on for 2 minutes and Hikaru's score slowly rose to 15 points, if you could count his vehicle as a kill.

This was far from enough and time was running short. To make matters worse, a stray projectile landed right in the middle of the robot, shredding the machine. Hikaru was forced to jump out of his vehicle, now a useless pile of scrap. Not far from him he could see Kirishima struggling against a 2 pointer, but decided not to join him, as he preferred not to interfere with his friend's exam. The Hardening Quirk user stared at him sadly for a few seconds and continued his business. _"A misfortune never comes alone"_ , his grandma used say and the Insight user's day clearly went terrible when a gigantic chunk of concrete fell from above. He barely had the time to brace in panic and closed his eyes. The boulder came crashing down and when the smoke settled he noticed with pleasure that yes, he was still alive.

" _This is it. This is how I screw up my exam, I get stuck under a dumb rock or worse. Fait chier! I worked my ass out for this and this is what I get? A-"_

His mental rant was cut short when he heard a familiar voice, obviously under a great strain. He opened his eyes and immediately recognized the spiky-haired boy with his skin covered in a layer of rock-like armor.

"Rumas? You OK?" uttered Kirishima.

"Kirishima? What are you doing here?"

"Well… Obviously I'm trying to save you! Now move!", he ordered "Now, dammit !"

Hikaru obeyed, he crawled under the concrete and reached the street, he then turned to his savior and shouted:

"Okay, I'm safe, now get out of here!"

"Yeah… About that..." Kirishima awkwardly answered.

"About what?"

"I can't. I'm kind of stuck."

"What? How!?"

"Well, I can hold this thing if I stand motionless with my quirk activated, but I can't move the damn rubble."

"You're joking, right? I mean, you didn't think this through?"

"Hey, I just saw you were about to get crushed! I had to do something since no one else seemed to mind!"

"Really?"

"Then again, the sight of a giant robot does that to you."

"There's a giant robot? Where?" Hikaru asked with poorly repressed glee.

"Can't you see it?" Kirishima shook his head upwards "It's right there!"

Hikaru's gaze turned in this direction. It was a 0-pointer, a gigantic beast of metal, swinging its arms to shoo away the pesky examinees that dared to be on its way.

"Oh damn." he said "Still, why did you do that? You'll never get more points stuck under this chunk of concrete..."

"Okay, listen." Kirishima sighed. "When I decided to apply to U.A... I said to myself that from this day on... When someone would be in need of rescue... I wouldn't hesitate anymore. I'm keeping that promise. Now go!"

He cringed under the strain, then continued.

"I'll be alright... Try to get your own points... You barely have 3 minutes left!"

This was a lie. Not the remaining time unfortunately, but the spiky-haired teen's condition as even Hikaru could see the cracks that were beginning to form on Kirishima's armor.

" _The absolute madman! He saved me even though he knew he might die!"_ he thought. Then it struck him. He remembered Grandpa's story about his exam, the support exam and everything suddenly made sense. This was all part of the test. Rescuing other examinees in danger while dealing with the villains, it was a sure test to see who had the potential of a hero.

" _This is the support exam all over again. The others are giving me the answers I need. Answers that I should have figured out by myself."_ But now wasn't the time for words, he had to make a move right now or Kirishima would get hurt. He assessed his resources; a metal bar, his quirk, a pile of high-quality scrap material and of course his brain. _"Well if it has to be like the support exam, let's go all the way, shall we?"_.

"I'll be right back, Kirishima!" he shouted to his savior in need of saving.

He rushed to the debris of his former vehicle, took his shirt and placed it under an aluminum panel. He grabbed a rusty iron bar that fell with the dreaded concrete chunk. Once again, thermite would have to save the day. And after gathering a handful of the powder he launched himself the robot was rampaging. This was, by far, the most dangerous and stupid he'd ever done. With the thermite rolled up in his shirt, kept by a knot on his hips, he began to scale the terrifying 0-pointer.

The headaches came first. It was a highly complicated machine after all. Then his nose started to bleed, as the accelerated vision of the robot's construction came to an end. He was almost halfway through and 1m38s away from the end of the exam when the dizziness kicked in. It felt like he would pass out and fall to the ground, yet he climbed his way to the top while using his new-found knowledge to program a precise set of actions, mainly wire connections, to perform the moves he needed. He had to be fast and precise, failure was utterly unacceptable.

When he finally reached the robot's head, he quickly located the maintenance hatch. This time, he didn't have the luxury to unscrew the bolts, he placed the thermite on the sides, in a circular form and left his shirt on this spot. Then he pulled out his cellphone which was turned off, naturally, as the use of communication devices of any sort was strictly forbidden during the exam. The next step of the plan would be the most painful for his wallet. He broke the casing to reveal the battery, only to smash it on the tough metal floor. When a phone battery breaks open, it releases a vivid flame, which is why its isn't recommended to stay around. Unless, of course, if you have no lighter available and if you need to set your shirt aflame as a makeshift fuse for DIY thermite.

Hikaru, while remaining on the 0-pointer's head, tried to put as much distance as possible between him and the hatch as the powder ignited and began to melt through the metal panel. Still he could feel the heat and the light show from his "safe" spot. When the process stopped, Hikaru jumped down the hole left by the powder circle and landed in a jungle of cables, wires and metal. But he knew what he needed to do. Just like his 3-point counterpart, the 0-pointer was swiftly hot-wired and Hikaru began rewiring cables in a frenzy. Then the gigantic robot began to move backwards, only to stop and carefully lift a chunk of concrete that laid on the street, like you would lift a small rock to see what was under it. He put the debris away and stood there, motionless. Inside its head, the Insight user lied in a forest of metallic vines, some tied together, some torn apart, the others untouched.

" _This is it"_ he thought _"I did everything I could to save him, if this doesn't work out, nothing will."_ He was tired and couldn't lift a finger. From his sides, feets and hands he could feel several burns that the red-hot metal dealt to him. He had to put all of his strength and energy into this stunt. His mind dozed off, dulled by the tiring exercise of operating a giant robot on wires alone without a margin of error and running on adrenaline. He looked at the sky as Present Mic a announced the end of the exam. He felt.. quiet. Before his vision faded to black, he saw a dark-haired boy rappelling using the tape that came from his elbows.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked as Hikaru passed out.

* * *

For Kirishima, this exam had been one hell of a ride. Not only he had to fight his way through dozens of applicants but rescuing Hikaru proved a little harder than expected. Namely, holding a very heavy object for a couple of minutes. Which is why he felt a sincere relief when the concrete block disappeared, only to placed further away. He fell to his knees, panting.

" **AND THE EXAM IS OVER, DEAR LISTENERS!"** yelled Present Mic.

Kirishima got up and headed to the robot's feet, where some examinees gathered as they saw a teenager descending the machine, carrying Hikaru in a tray made of tape. The Hardening user rushed to the group.

"What happened? How is he?" he asked.

"He was unconscious up there, I think he passed out." answered Hikaru's new savior. "You know him?"

"Kind of, he must have pushed too hard on his quirk."

"You mean he was the one controlling that robot earlier? It definitely acted weird at the end."

"He was riding a 3-pointer before that, I saw him" added a red-haired girl with a ponytail.

"Man, climbing all the way up there, what was he thinking? Did you guys see the explosion?" the boy with tape-arms commented.

" **ALL RIGHT! EVERYONE, LISTEN UP! ALL UNINJURED EXAMINEES ARE INVITED TO LEAVE THEIR ZONE! AND TAKE SOME TIME TO GATHER ALL THE INJURED IN TO A SAFER PLACE, THAT'S CALLED COURTESY!"** announced the booming voice of Present Mic.

* * *

Kirishima and Hikaru were escorted outside by other teenagers, then by robots to UA's infirmary, where Recovery Girl took care of them after she bid a shy green-haired teen goodbye. The old lady quickly healed the spiky-haired boy injuries with her quirk, before turning her attention on the Insight user lying in an hospital bed.

"Somehow, I knew I'd have to deal with him again." she grumbled, giving him a healing peck on the cheek.

"You've seen him before?" questioned Kirishima.

"Indeed, I wish he wasn't that troublesome. At least there's some progress from the Support exam. He used thermite _again_ -despite my lecture- but at least he did it in an isolated space and at a relatively safe distance."

Her patient regained consciousness soon after.

"Hey buddy, how do you feel?" the Hardening user greeted him.

"What year is it?" Hikaru mumbled.

"Same as this morning."

"Good"

"So how many points did you score in the end?"

"15, if you count just the robots."

"Ah, that's a sha- wait, what do you mean by _just the robots_?"

"I probably earned points for rescuing you, you too by the way."

"This wasn't written anywhere! You're sure about that?" Kirishima looked a bit worried.

"I'm pretty sure, yes. They have to consider somehow the reasons why a candidate would apply and that's how they reveal them, with looming danger for you and the others. That's why you did well."

"That.. That does make sense, though there's something… Something that bothers me."

"What exactly?" Hikaru dreaded that question.

"When did you figure that out?"

"After your shônen speech."

"Right, so when you car-jacked that 0-pointer to save me, did you do it for me or for the points?"

" _There it is"_ he noted, he had to be honest on this one. It's a quality Kirishima seemed to appreciate.

"Both."

"Jeez, that's direct." he looked disappointed.

"However," Hikaru added "if I didn't know about this secret rule I'm sure I would have done it anyway. It just really bugs me to have thought about points..."

"Really, why?"

"Well you _saved_ me so that's that. You're a cool guy, that weighed in the balance. And most importantly I would never have forgiven myself if I didn't at least try to rescue you."

"Again, why?" Kirishima insisted

"I told you, I want to save people, with or without my gear."

"Now, that's more like it! Let me tell you Rumas, you shouldn't feel too bad for those points. If knew about this it would have crossed my mind as well. There are more important things right now, like your health. How is he, doctor?"

"He'll be fine," Recovery Girl chimed in "you need to rest and eat well young Rumas. Just be more careful, alright? I know you're all wannabe heroes but think about your safety at some point."

"Now go!" she gestured at the door "You're all healed and there are others who need my help."

That was until someone knocked, the nurse opened the door and asked:

"Yes, do you need anything?"

From the bed, as he got up, Hikaru couldn't see the person on the doorstep. However he recognized her voice immediately:

"Actually yes, I'm looking for my cousin, Rumas Hikaru. Have you seen him? He's not answering on his phone and..."

"Calm down young lady, he's here. He's fine, though a bit tired, there's nothing to be worried about. Young man! There's someone looking for you!"

"On my way!" Hikaru answered.

"Could you please hurry Luluma?" the girl sighed.

"Oh that's _adorable_ , Mina's going to love this!" Kirishima commented playfully.

"Don't you dare," Hikaru shot back drily "not a word about this nickname."

" _Yeah, even I didn't appreciate being called Metapod back in middle-school."_ he thought.

Peeking to see the visitor he added to himself:

" _Damn! I know it isn't the nicest, most gentlemanly thing to say to a girl but you've gotta admit, she's pretty hot!"_

Hikaru, finally prepped up, rushed to the door and said with a smile:

"I'm here Momo-nee! Sorry about the calls, my phone's dead."

"What? How did that happen?" Momo wondered. Hikaru always took care of his phone like it was its treasure.

"It's a long story, and I have someone here who can help me narrate this grand adventure! Oi! Kirishima! Let's go!"

* * *

And with that, they left. Not before thanking Recovery Girl, of course. Once she was on her own, she studied the injuries Hikaru had received during this exam.

"Multiple fisrt degree burns, a case of quirk burnout and minor blood loss." she sighed.

He looked like his mother for sure, but she could see the similarities between him and his grandfather.

"Makimuras," she mumbled, "All prideful idiots: like grandfather, like grandson."

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello again! A slightly shorter chapter this time but I'm satisfied of the result. I really appreciate that some users actually Faved and Followed, that makes me really happy! Regarding updates, expect next chapter by 26/08. I'll try to keep the 2 weeks delay between each chapter, it should give me enough time to write without being too long. Have a nice day!


	3. Tea, trade and small-talk

**I do not own My Hero Academia nor its characters, support the official release, etc etc.**

* * *

Momo Yaoyorozu was busy reviewing her notes as part of her daily routine when she heard her phone ringing. A quick glance revealed that it was a call from her uncle Shun. She plugged her earbuds and pressed the green phone symbol on the screen.

"Hello?" she said.

"Good morning, Momo." Shun answered. "How are you doing?"

"Oh the past days have been quiet, nothing to be worried about. However.. even if I think I performed well I'm still unsure about the results of the recommended students' exam..."

"You might have heard that a lot but I'm sure it'll work out just fine."

"Thank you, how about you and Hikaru?"

"I'm fine, thank you, as of Hikaru... I'm afraid to say that something happened."

"What?" she asked worriedly.

"He got hurt, I received a call from U.A. saying he's currently in their infirmary."

"My god! Is he alright?"

"He should be, I'd like to check up on him but that raises an other problem..."

"Which is?" she added inquisitively. There was something odd with her uncle _"_ _What kind of problem can stop you from looking after your grandson?"  
_ she noted to herself.

"You see Chi-, there's a bit of bad blood between U.A.'s nurse and I. It's a long story and we'll probably make a scene if I go there myself. I really don't want Hikaru to be involved in this situation."

"I guess you want me to go instead. Am I correct?"

"That's it."

"I'll see what I can do, if he's healed I'll bring him to you. Is there anything else?"

"No, I think that sums it up. Thank you again, Momo."

With a polite goodbye, they hung up. Momo grabbed her jacket and texted her mother to tell her she would be outside for a while. Minutes later, she left the mansion and headed for the train station. From there it took her half an hour to reach her stop and another 10 minutes to get to U.A.'s gates.

* * *

"You know the rest of the story, I went through an ID check after your grandfather vouched for me. So, do you feel better?"

"Physically? I'm A-OK. Emotionally? I'm spent." Hikaru explained.

"Who wouldn't be? You scaled a giant robot, you madman!" Kirishima added excitedly.

"He did what?"

"It's another victory for I, Hikaru Rumas! Daringly climbing a deadly foe to rescue a fellow future Hero!"

"No doubt Drill-Girl will be impressed by such bravery," Momo chuckled "I'm sure she loves boys who brag all day long."

"Yeah right, that's a low blow. I thought you had higher standards." he grumbled.

Kirishima peeked at his phone.

"Well, not that I dislike your company everyone, but it's getting late and my folks are waiting for me at home, so I'll have to go." He headed to his train after fist-bumping Hikaru and waving at Momo.

"Ring me when you have your results, Rumas!"

"Will do!"

That left Hikaru and his cousin alone as the spiky-haired teen disappeared in the crowd.

"He sounds like a nice person, this Kirishima." she said as they walked to their own train.

"He is, he's one of the few people who don't run away in anger when I'm being a prick."

"Is he some sort of monk?"

"With the punishment that he can take? Who knows?"

"He didn't look like someone who failed his exam, was he good?"

"Pretty damn good if you ask me, I'd be in bad shape if it wasn't for him."

"Well I look forward to see him in class then."

"Hey," asked Hikaru when they entered the wagon " do you want to see the _thing_ after you drop me home?"

"What? You finished it? Does it work?"

"Hé hé, you'll see."

Momo quickly wrote another text to her mother, saying that she would be spending the rest of the afternoon at the Makimura household. After her second train ride this day, they headed to the apartment complex in Desta ward.

* * *

In minutes they were at Hikaru's doorstep, and he invited Momo in. As expected, Shun was absent.

"Welcome home, do you want something to drink?" he asked

"A cup of tea, if you don't mind."

"Tea it is, then. I'll make some for both of us."

As Hikaru entered the kitchen, Momo waited in the living room. Her gaze stuck on the sword that rested on its support, fixed to the wall. A reminder of Shun's former status of #7, this was of course Samurai Man's iconic weapon. Every time Momo visited Hikaru, she would spend some time observing it. This was craftsmanship of the highest quality, after all.

" _I'll have to train more if I want to reach that level with my Quirk some day. There's always room for improvement."_

Hikaru arrived with the tea shortly after and interrupted her train of thought.

"So, ready to see the prototype? After the tea, naturally."

"I still can't believe you made it. Hayano-sensei will love it!"

"You bet he will."

They sat to get comfortable, facing each other.

"How is the rest of the family doing, Luluma?" she questioned as she sipped her tea.

"Same old, same old. Raph' is still attending Durandal High, he should be on vacation by July. Uncle Randy's busy with his Hero work and auntie has the farm."

"It's been a while since I've seen Raphael. Was it last year?"

"Yep, when he visited."

"Is he doing alright?"

"He is. He's in the top of his class. When you have a Quirk like his it's not that difficult."

"I suppose, yes. And what about Randy?"

"Spitfire the Airborne Hero, is still popular. Flying sure gives you the edge when you need to get somewhere as soon as possible."

"And how is he in the ranking?"

"Still #5."

By now, both had emptied their cups. Hikaru rose and said:

"Time sure flies, and we have a prototype to see!"

"Right, lead the way!"

Hikaru's room hadn't changed that much, there were some new posters on the walls and new figurines on the shelf. Most importantly, there was an optical bench on the large table at the center and what looked like a sturdy metal plate with scorching marks on the wall. The bench had a small box-like object on its slider, roughly the size of a soda can, wires came out of a side to reach a battery nearby.

"So, show me what you have here!" she cheered.

"Of course, stand right there, behind the line on the ground."

Hikaru reached his desk and waved his computer's mouse, the screen lit up showing his screen-saver. He opened up a program a entered some instructions.

"Now, turn off the lights, the test will begin in 5 seconds."

Momo obeyed and watched as the object fired a brief but powerful flash of light that made a loud * _pew*_ before vanishing. With a flick of the switch, he ceiling's light came back and she could see clearly the new scorch mark on the target.

"Most impressive! How did you do that?"

"It takes some time to explain, there are months of research before that result but tl;dr: I supercharge a crystal of Yaorozium-A and it does its magic."

"I'll take your notes if you don't mind. Now I have some questions..."

"Go ahead."

"One, can you modify the intensity of the beam?"

"Sure! There are 2 settings for now with one that should be non-lethal."

"Should be?" she shot back worriedly

"It's a low power setting, the worst that can happen to the target is a burn, I'm not a monster."

"Let's keep it that way, shall we?"

"Yeah."

"Good, two: do you think I can make one in a reasonable amount of time?"

"The device? Yes and no, there's a lot of electronics inside that will slow down your Quirk. Then there's the power source... However, I've also been working on a simplified version! I could give you the STC -"

"You _could_... In exchange of what?" she replied, visibly annoyed. As soon as she ended that sentence, Hikaru entered his merchant mode.

"Ah, I see that you understand my language."

"How much?"

"Let's see... I'll need 10 kg of Yaorozium-D and 2 crystals of Yaorozium-A. It's for my next project, you see."

These so-called _Yao-Elements_ were alloys and specific materials that she had developed with the practice of her Quirk. To be the most efficient, she had spent years trying to min-max the properties of these metals, crystals and plastics. Resilience, Conductivity, pretty much everything you could think of was on the list.

"Mmh... That's a lot but it's _reasonable_... Very well. you'll have your goods, nothing less but absolutely nothing more! You know I hate creating expensive materials with my Quirk." she begrudgingly agreed.

"I know, I know. But then again, you're the best there is at what you do!"

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Luluma."

"Right." Hikaru rummaged through the pile of paper on his desk and produced a roll of blueprints. He was old-fashioned like that. "There you have it! STC #19, the LasBolt Light©!"

She took the plans. As stingy as her cousin was, Hikaru was a reliable source of inventions as far as she knew. While he worked on new designs she could better her control over her Quirk. That's why he traded his Standard Template Constructs with raw, high-end materials produced by her. This one would make a fine addition to the others in the notebook she kept. She left the room.

"Wait a few minutes." she sighed.

"I'm very patient!"

She closed the door. A few minutes later, she returned, carrying a small suitcase.

"There, it is done. Be careful, as always."

"As always! Thank you very much, it's a pleasure doing business with you!"

"What did I say about flattery?"

"I'm serious," he replied " I really couldn't do my work if it wasn't for this. All of _this_ , I owe it to our deal. Regular materials just don't make the cut." he waved at the objects lying on the workbench.

"Still it bothers me a little. Making this sort of deal within the family... It feels weird."

Hikaru's merchant face faded, and he turned serious. He stared at his machine.

"It is weird, I agree." He sighed. "But I wouldn't trade my plans to anyone else. I'll tell you what, as soon as I get an access to U.A's Workshop I'll try to replicate the Yao-Elements."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I've been thinking about this lately... The Support exam, and today's... It really showed me that I rely too much on others."

"There's nothing wrong with relying on others."

"I know, I know... But it's high time I start getting my stuff on my own."

"Luluma, even if your Quirk allows you to copy the work of others, these are your inventions..."

"Yes, we've had this conversation before. It's about what I do with them, now. Lately everything that I accomplish, I owe it to someone else. Today it's Kirishima, a month ago it was Drill-Girl, what happens next?"

She sighed, massaging her temples. Having 3... No, **_2_** heroes in his branch of the family and the nature of his Quirk had always made Hikaru feel insecure about his own abilities. The exams certainly didn't help. Truthfully? She had the same problem, being the daughter of known Heroes and feeling the weight of expectations due to her powerful Quirk. There was a limit to how she could help her cousin dealing with that. No amount of personal work could breach it, they'd need support from the outside.

"Moving on," she continued "the machine works just like your prototype?"

"Yes, you aim, you press the trigger and you watch the energy reserves. It's a laser gun, after all."

"I guess that settles it, then. Listen Luluma, I know you always wanted to have your own laser pistol but remember: be reasonable. Don't go overboard, you know how this thing is dangerous." she said, pointing at the target "Can you restrain yourself from building something that will get you in trouble? Please."

" _There she is,"_ Hikaru thought _"Big Sis Momo is back at it again."_

"All right, I'll avoid the superlaser death-thingy and settle for the crowd control version. Maybe tone down the power of the anti-material variant and -"

"Promise me, I know uncle Shun gives you a lot of free reign on your hobbies but promise me that this will be the strongest power output that machine will see until you graduate."

"Fine, I promise."

"Thank you, Luluma." she replied with a sigh of relief "Now, let's focus on something else! How's the Hero ranking doing in France?"

As Momo directed the conversation to a less serious subject, they left the room and Hikaru's inventions. Hidden under a sheet, a sleek object rested on the table, its shape leaving no doubt to what was its function. The villains of the world would one day fear that pistol and its wielder, but for now it remained silent, like an innocent toy **.**

* * *

 **A/N: Hello again! With a shorter chapter this time, but the next will probably have more substance. It will likely be there in 2 weeks!**


	4. Low energy Saturday

**LALALALALALA I DON'T OWN HERO ACADEMIA**

* * *

It was a sunny Saturday morning of the highest cliché. At first, Hikaru wanted to spend it tinkering and calibrating the Lasbolt (patent pending), however a quick _"hey how's your s_ _aturday_ _?"_ sent by Kirishima completely changed his plans for the day. Indeed, Hikaru was now tinkering and calibrating his latest invention while using his friend as a test subject.

"Ready?" he warned Kirishima as he took aim with the LasBolt from one end of the room.

"I'm always ready! Bring it!" his friend cheered, activating his Quirk while bumping his fists.

"FIRE!" the Insight user yelled as he pulled the trigger.

The beam hit the Hardening user square in his bare chest after the usual * _pew_ *. He took the hit without even flinching.

"All right," the inventor noted "we're at 65% of the _vanilla_ power mode and you're still intact. Did it take an effort this time? Any particular remarks?"

"It's okay, stings a bit but I can handle it."

"That's excellent!" Hikaru scribbled in his notebook "That way we can try higher power levels that could force you to get better with your Quirk!"

"Yeah! When do we start?"

"As soon as… Ah. I'm out of ammo."

"Ah, lame. How long does it take to recharge the power packs?"

"1 to 2 hours, I'd say 2 and a half."

"Okay, then. Can I get something to drink, please? It's a bit dry in here after all the lasers..."

"Right away! What do you want? We got Torrent, Doctor Pepe-"

"Anything as long as it's fresh."

It took at least a minute for Hikaru to come back with two cans, which they opened before they sat to enjoy the drinks.

"To science!" Kirishima sang, "Making me tougher one laser beam at a time!"

"Cheers, I'll drink to that!" Hikaru continued.

It was then that the spiky-haired teen decided to ask a question that would probably annoy his host, hopefully he wouldn't take that too badly. Worst-case scenario, Rumas would enter his _tsundere_ mode, which was always funny.

"So, about that crush of yours..."

"It's not a crush! Damn it Kirishima!" Hikaru shot back.

" _Tsundere-mode it is, then"_ he thought, before correcting himself.

"Fine. About _that girl_?"

"That's better."

"How do you want to handle this exactly?"

Hikaru looked puzzled for a second as he put his soda can on the table.

"Idunno, I've been focusing on U.A. and my personal projects lately, so I haven't made any progress on Drill-Girl yet."

"Speaking of U.A., you got your letter? I got mine this morning."

"And?"

"I passed! I ranked 2nd at the practical exam!"

"Wow! Congrats man, that's impressive! I knew you'd succeed!"

"Thanks, so what about you?"

"Nothing yet. Grandpa should grab the mail when he'll return from his shopping. But I'll have a place in support that's certain."

"When you're in the top 10 for the entrance exam, yeah, you can say that. Hey! That could be a good starting point in the search for Drill-Girl!"

"Mh?" mumbled Hikaru.

"You could start by the rankings for the Support entrance exam! Assuming she passed, she'll be there."

"Kiri, you're a genius."

"Oh come on, that was like, basic reasoning."

"All right, let me get the paper."

As the support exam took place 1 month earlier, the examinees had already received the complete ranking while the Hero Course applicants would have to wait at least a week to get their. In minutes, his friend had already found the document in the pile of paper on his desk's corner.

"So… Not that many girls applied to the Support Course but there are a few of them."

Assuming the _Ritsuko_ s, _Saya_ s and other girly names belonged to actual girls, Hikaru and Eijirô quickly sorted out the candidates.

"Alright," the Hardening user announced "that's 30 girls out of the 100 students that passed."

"That's still a lot though. Well I have one last criteria."

"Which is?"

"See the top 10 students? I bet Drill-Girl is among them."

"Uh, where does that come from?"

"See, she inspired me when I needed it the most and escaped flawlessly."

"Yeah, I can understand her having a high score for her performance but what about that inspiration thing?"

"She bested me. Period. That's why I see her as my equal. And that's why she has to be in the top 10. Because I won't settle for anything less."

"Dude, this has to be the most _chuuni_ thing I've ever heard."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's just say that she scored really high due to her idea and because there was plenty of time left."

"See, that makes more sense than ' _She has to be a worthy rival!'_ ," Kirishima added, impersonating a cliché samurai.

" **Anyway** , that leaves us with only 3 candidates."

"Now, what? We check their Facebook profiles?"

"That… That's actually a pretty good idea."

Hikaru opened a window of his Internet browser and searching.

"Do you remember what she looked like?" his friend asked.

"Kind of, enough to know that 2 of the girls don't match."

"Pink hair?"

"Indeed."

"Who is it then? There's only one of them left."

"Hatsume Mei."

"Congrats man! You found her!"

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"Ah?"

"See her profile? There's nothing but a picture of Einstein making a silly face. I can't confirm that it is her."

"Come on! She's the only one left!"

"My _sensei_ always told me that everything you can show without a proof can be debunked just as easily."

"So we can't know until we actually see her?"

"That's about it."

"Man, I feel like I've wasted my time."

"That's research for you ' _Researchers that search you can find, but researchers that find, we're always looking for'_."

"Your _sensei_ again?"

"When he speaks like Yoda, yes."

As Hikaru finished talking the apartment door opened and Shun entered, carrying grocery bags and in his hand, a letter.

"Son, you've got mail."

"Is it what I think it is?" the Insight user asked excitedly.

"Ir's heavy and it has UA's logo on it, so that's probably it."

Hikaru rushed to the entrance, and Eijirô followed suit, just in time to see his friend open the mentioned letter, only to find a handful of papers and a device, that sparked up to life as soon as Hikaru held it. Massaging his temples, the Insight user watched as the hologram video started.

" _ **Is this thing on? Ahem! Congratulations, Rumas Hikaru!"**_ it was Recovery Girl, standing in front of her desk, wearing a lab coat and her usual bun. _**"You have successfully passed UA's Entrance Exam for the Hero Course. Since you've also applied and are eligible for the Support Course you'll have to specify which one you choose by next week. There's a website, and everything. Now,"**_ she added _**"every teacher and member of UA's staff that announces the results is allowed to add a personal message to the examinee, so here's mine: even though you've made progress since the Support exam you're still having trouble with the concept of caution. I'd say you're on the right path but still, there's still room for improvement."**_

She smirked and then tapped a box of band-aids that was lying on the desk.

" _ **I hope I won't have to fix you too much; welcome to UA, young man!"**_

The video stopped and the hologram disappeared. Hikaru stood still for a moment. He put the projector on the table and jumped, yelling at the other two people in the room.

"WOO-HOOO !"

"Congratulations, man! I knew you could do it!"

"So," he rummaged through the forms UA sent him "I'm 8th on the ranking, whatever that means."

"How many points did you got, son?" the former #7 questioned.

"15 Villain points and 45 rescue points! What was your score again, Kirishima?"

"39 Villains and 35 rescue I think, I ranked 2nd !"

"So," Shun reprised "you had the same exam I passed 45 years ago but with reversed rules. I thought UA to be a bit more original."

"We passed! That's the essential." Hikaru added.

"True, so which class are you in?" his friend continued.

"1-A."

"Great! We're in the same class!"

"No way. That's amazing! My cousin's in 1-A too!"

"At least I'm glad to see you'll have familiar faces with you for your time at UA. I believe I haven't met your guest though..."

"Ah! I'm Kirishima Eijirô. It's a pleasure to meet you !" he said, extending his hand.

"A pleasure, I was wondering what you looked like, since Hikaru talked at great lengths about the exam. Now, I have to fill the fridge if you don't mi-"

Shun was interrupted by the ringing of the phone, that he promptly grabbed.

"Hello? This is the Makimura resi-" he paused, then covered the microphone and said:

"Hikaru, can you handle the groceries, please? This is important."

"Sure thing."

He grabbed the bags and headed to the kitchen.

Shun walked to his office and closed the door.

"Now, he's not listening, what do you have to say? I'll have you know that getting a phone call just as I dropped my bags is most unnerving."

" _ **Please, Makimura,"**_ Recovery Girl answered _**"I know that you've always picked Saturday mornings as your time to get your weekly groceries."**_

"Anyway, what problem can bring you of all people to call me?"

" _ **News I got from Nedzu, they are most disturbing. We have received reports of unnaturally bent vehicles and metal structures in Osaka, then 2 days later some eyewitnesses confirmed seeing an armored figure flying in the air. You know what this means."**_

Shun sat down, visibly worried. He sighed.

"This could be anyone, strength enhancing quirks are pretty common."

" _ **I hope so, I really do, Makimura. If this is who I think it is that could mean trouble for your grandson."**_

"What's next, what can I do?"

" _ **We will be in touch, I'll call you again when I'll have more information, in the meantime you should start training the boy. Knowing him, you can disguise it as a preparation for his studies, I'm sure he'll buy it."**_

"He already has a training regime."

" _ **Good, just keep him up in shape. UA will be the safest place for him if worse comes to worst."**_

"A-Agreed. Is there anything else?"

" _ **I think I'm done. Good day, Shun."**_

"Thank you, good day to you too."

He hang up and Shun was left alone in his armchair, he looked upon his old Hero suit. Samurai man's shining armor. _"Should I use it. Should I be a Hero once more? Or is this just a terribly misguiding coincidence?"_ He rose, and went back to the kitchen, there he saw Hikaru and his friend putting the last item in the fridge. Hikaru saw him and claimed:

"Okay, before you get mad, Kirishima asked to help and I agreed, because refusing a favor is rude."

"Oh, it's nothing I'm just happy to help." the red-head added.

"Well at least that's that sorted out." The former #7 poured himself a glass of orange juice from the open door of the fridge.

"By the way," Hikaru chimed in "can I go to Kirishima's place for the evening? He said we could compare our training."

Shun's mind suddenly clicked, as an idea forced its way to his mouth.

"Son, and you too young man, I have a proposition that might be interesting for you."

* * *

 **A/N: Whew! It's out! I was almost late with this one. I'd also like to give special thanks to everyone who favved and/or followed! I won't list all (15) names, but know that I continue to appreciate the support! Now, next chapter should be there by 09/30 and I'll try sticking to 3 weeks between each chapter. As always, do take care!**


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